Thread guide



April 20', 1948. s, c, NELSON 2,440,151

' THREAD GUIDE Filed Oct. 31, 1944 I/llln Hllli j oufj a YINVENTORQ 2 5 g a i capacities, etc., along Patented Apr. 20, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFF-ICE 2,440,151 THREAD coma Seddon 0. Nelson, Front Royal, Va., ass'lrnor to American Viscose Corporation, Wilmington, Del., a corporation of Delaware I Application October 31, 1944, Serial No. 561,301 14 Claims. (Cl. 28-715) This invention relates to a fixed or stationary guide for eflecting and controlling lateral displacement of thread wrapped one or more times about a wheel and to prevent the thread from riding on or lapping upon itself. My improved guide is particularly well-adapted for use in connection with artificial filament spinning machines, in which it may serve to prevent slippage of the filamentary material on one or more of such wheels.

It has been found that while fixed guides efficiently prevent riding of the filamentary material on itself, in practice they have many disadvantages, because the thread or the like passing thereover always contacts the same portion of the guide which 'becomes worn with consequent variations in the tension on the thread which result in variations in strength, dyeing the length thereof.

Such guides require frequent replacement. The loss of time incurred in the spinning operation necessitated by replacement of worn guides, the added expense involved in frequent repolishing of the guides and purchase of additional guides, and the loss due to damage of the thread in passing over defective guides all cause an inthe final product. I

These difliculties are overcome by the present invention which provides a fixed or stationary guide having a plurality of operating positions. and which can be adjusted as required to present a new surface to thread passing thereover.

In its broader aspects, my improved guide comprises at least two thread guiding portions laterally offset from each other and separated by a shoulder which is polygonal in outline and which n .ay serve to identify the various operating positions of the guide. The thread guiding portions of the guid may be grooved or smooth. The guide proper is supported by a post or rod which may be laterally oifset from the thread-guiding portions and which may have any desired crosssectional configuration but preferably has a cross-sectional configuration corresponding to the polygonal outline of the dividing shoulder.

A thread guide constructed in accordance with my invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a front perspective view of a set-up comprising a wheel and guide; and

Figure 2 is a side elevational of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawing, there is shown a wheel 2 of the type commonly employed for view of the set-up crease in the expense of manufacturing and of neath the wheel and mounted on handling filamentary material. Disposed bea frame (not shown) is a guide 3. The guide comprises a circular thread-guiding portion 4 provided with two annular grooves 5 and 5a and which is laterally offset from a circular thread-guiding portion 6 which may or may not be grooved (Figure 2) and separated therefrom by a dividing shoulder 1 which, in the specific illustration, has the outline of an equilateral triangle, the apices 8 of which are spaced apart about the circumference of the guide. The guide is supported by means of laterally oil'set rod or post 9, the cross-sectional configuration of which is triangular.

In operation, as for example when the guide is used toefi'ect lateral displacement of freshly spun filamentary material coming from a coagulatingbath or other devices on which the material has been subjected to the usual aftertreatments, the operator laces up the wheelguide set-up by passing the thread l0 over the thread-guiding portion 6 of guide 3, and around wheel 2, about which the thread may be wrapped several times to provide traction. The thread is then passed through groove 5 in threaduiding portion 4 of guide 3, and over wheel 2, after which it is passed through groove 5a in thread-guiding portion 4 of the guide, and again up over wheel 2, from which it passes continuously to another wheel-guide system or to a suitable take-up mechanism (not shown).

The newguide has the advantage that it is symmetrical and can be used with equal efiectiveness in a purality of positions. When the operator observes that the portion of the guide over which the thread is traveling is begining to show wear, it is a simple matter to adjust the position of the guide so that a fresh portion of the surface thereof is presented to the thread. In the case illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, where the dividing shoulder 1 has the outline of an equilateral triangle, one of the projections thereof, near its apex, is provided with an identifying spot of contrasting color, II. If, at the start of operation, the guide is so positioned that the projection bearing mark H is in the upright position, the position of the guide may be changed to bring the other two apices of the triangle into upright position, .in sequence, as required. Instead of placing a spot of of one of the projections, one or all of the apices of the triangle represented by the shoulder may be difierently colored, or sequentially numbered, or other types or indicia may be provided. It

contrasting color near the apex Thus,

will be understood, 01" course, that dividing shoulder I does not have to be triangular in outline but may be of other polygonal outline, such as quadrilateral, rectangular, square, hexagonal, etc. Further, the guide may comprise more than two thread-guiding portions each of which is separated from the other by a dividing shoulder.

The thread-guiding portions 4 and 6 may be grooved or ungrooved, and portion 4 may be of the same diameter throughout or the diameter thereof may be progressively larger or progressively smaller along the length thereof extending from shoulder I. If either or both of the threadguiding portions 4 and 6 are provided with annular grooves, the pitch of the sides and the depth of the grooves may be of any degree or dimension, but preferably, the grooves are comparatively shallow, which makes for easy polishing and lacing-up.

The new guide has many advantages as compared with fixed guides available heretofore. in use, the wear thereon is uniformly distributed around the circumference of the threadguiding portions, thereby greatly prolonging the length of time during which the guide will perform its function satisfactorily, beyond that of the fixed guides now in use, while ensuring continuous delivery of the thread under a constant uniform tension. For example, when, as in the case with the guide illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, the guide has three efieotive operating positions as defined by the apices of the equilateral triangle outlined by shoulder I, the guide may be used three times longer than a guide of convenventional design, before replacement thereof be-. comes necessary.

The guide may be cast or molded in one piece, or it may be formed from separate elements comprising the guide proper and the supporting post or rod, which elements may be joined together in any suitable manner.

The guide may be made of any desirable hard and rigid material which is resistant to acids,

alkalis, and other chemical solvents that may be present on the filamentary material. For example, it may be made of porcelain, glass, plasticmaterials, as for instance, synthetic resins such as polyvinyl resins, for example, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, phenol-formaldehyde resins, phenol-furfural resins, methacrylate polymers, synthetic rubber, or hard rubber itself.

While'preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it is not intended that the invention be limited thereto, and modification may be made within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim: 1. A stationary guide for filamentary material comprising two circular thread-guiding portions laterally offset with respect to each other, at least one annular groove in the portion having the greater diameter, a dividing shoulder having the outline of an equilateral triangle separating said portions, and a support for the guide comprising a laterally offset post-like member having, in

cross-section, the configurationof an equilateral triangle.-

est diameter being provided with at least one annular groove, and said portions being separated by a dividing shoulder having the outline of an equilateral triangle, the apices of which define a plurality of operating positions for said guide.

3. A stationary guide for filamentary material, said guide having a plurality of operating positions, and comprising at least two thread-guiding portions laterally oifset with respect to each other and separated by a dividing shoulder having a polygonal outline, each angle of the polygon comprising the shoulder defining one of the operating positions for the guide.

4. A stationary guide for filamentary material, said guide having a plurality of operating positions, and comprising at least two thread-guiding portions laterally offset with respect to each other and separated by a dividing shoulder having a triangular outline, each apex of the triangle comprising the shoulder defining one of the operating positions for'the guide.

2. In combination, a wheel for handling filamentary material, and a stationary guide to cause lateral displacement of a thread wrapped one or more times around the wheel and prevent riding of the thread on itself, said guide comprising two thread-guiding portions laterally offset with respect to each other, the portion having the great- 5. A stationary guide for filamentary material, said guide having a plurality of operatingpositions and comprising at least two thread-guiding portions laterally offset with respect to each other and separated by a dividing shoulder having the outline of an equilateral triangle, each apex of the triangle comprising the shoulder defining one of the operating positions for the guide.

6. A stationary guide for filamentary material, said guide having a plurality of operating positions and comprising at least two circular threadguiding portions laterally offset with respect to each other and each having at least one annular groove therein, said portions being separated by a dividing shoulder having a polygonal outline, each angle of the polygon comprising the shoulder defining one of the operating positions for the guide.

7. A stationary guide for filamentary material, said guide having a plurality of operatin positions and comprising two circular thread-guiding portions laterally offset with respect to each other, the portion of greater diameter having at least one annular, groove therein, said portions bein separated by a dividing shoulder having a polygonal outline each angle of the polygon comprising the shoulder defining one of the operating positions for the guide.

8. A stationary guide for filamentary material,

said guide having a plurality of operating posi-' tions and comprising two circular thread-guiding portions laterally offset with respect to each other, the portion of greater diameter having at least one annular groove therein, said portions being separated by a dividing shoulder having the outline of an equilateral triangle, each apex of the triangle comprising the shoulder defining one of the operating positions for the guide.

9. A stationary guide for filamentary material, said guide having a plurality of operating positions and comprising at least two thread-guiding portions laterally offset with respect to each other and separated by a dividing shoulder having a polygonal outline, each angle of the polygon comprising the shoulder defining one of the operating positions for the guide, said guide being supported by a laterally offset post-like member the cross-sectional configuration of which corresponds to the polygonal outline of said shoulder.

10. In combination, a wheel for handling filamentary material, and a stationary guide to cause lateral displacement of a thread wrapped one or more times around the wheel and prevent ridingof the thread on itself, said guide havinga plurality oi. operating positions and comprising at least two thread-guiding portions laterally offset with respect to each other and separated by a dividing shoulder having a polygonal outline, each angle of the polygon comprising the shoulder defining one of the ide.

11. In combination, a wheelfor handling filamentary material, and a stationary guide to cause lateral displacement of a thread wrapped one or more times around the wheel and prevent riding of the thread on itself, said guide having a plurality of operating positions and. comprising operating positions for the at least two thread-guiding portions laterally offset with respect to each other and separated by a dividing shoulder having a triangular outline, each apex of the triangle comprising the shoulder defining one of the operating positions for the guide.

' mg the shoulder defining one of the operating positions for the guide.

13. In combination, a wheel for handling filamentary material, and a stationary guide to cause lateral displacement oi. a thread wrapped one or more times around the wheel and prevent riding of the thread on itself, said guide having a plurality of operating positions and comprising at least two thread-guiding portions laterally oflset with respect to each other and separated by a dividing shoulder having a polygonal outline, each angle 01' the polygon comprising the shoulder defining one of the operating positions for the guide, and a support for the guide comprising a postlike member having in cross-section a polygonal configuration.

I 14. In combination, a wheel for handling filamentary material, and a stationary guide to cause lateral displacement of a thread wrapped one or more times around the wheel and prevent riding of the thread on itself, said guide having a plurality of operating positions and comprising two thread-guiding portions laterally oirset with respect to each other, the portion having the greatest diameter being provided with at least one annular groove, and said portions being separated by a dividing shoulder having a polygonal outline, each angle of the polygon comprising the shoulder defining one of the operating positions for the guide.

, SDDON C. NELSON.

a earances crrnn The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 17,459 O'Sullivan Oct. 15, 1929 I 1,281,887 Williams et a1 Oct. 15, 1918 1,882,612 Hufiord Oct. 11, 1932 1,968,912 Schrenk Aug. 7, 1934 2,002,996 Hoefinghofi May 28, 1935 2,074,022 Oppenlaender Mar. 16, 1937 2,218,504 Cadden Oct, 22, 1940 v 2,271,854 Clarkson Feb. 3, 1942 2,296,473 Krehbiel Sept. 22, 1942 2,322,825 Carlson June 29, 1943 2,370,180 McCrosky Feb. 2'7, 1945 2,388,068 McDermott Oct. 30, 1945 

